The invention generally relates to systems and techniques associated with perforation and the installation of downhole tools.
A typical subterranean well includes a casing string that lines a wellbore of the well. To install the casing string, the string is first run into the well, and then the string is cemented in place. The cementing typically includes pumping a cement flow into a central passageway of the casing string. A mud flow is then communicated through the central passageway of the casing string behind the cement flow to displace the cement from inside the string and force the cement from the end of the string into the annulus.
One or more downhole tools may be integrated with the casing string so that these tools are installed with the string. Thus, the casing string may include one or more casing conveyed tools, such as perforating guns and/or formation isolation valves. A potential challenge relating to the use of the casing conveyed tools is that the above-described cementing technique may leave set cement inside the casing string, and this set cement may interfere with the proper functioning of the tools.
Casing conveyed tools may restrict the usable interior space of the casing string, making it difficult to potentially run other tools and strings inside the casing string. Casing conveyed tools may require one or more subsequent runs (after their installation) into the well for purposes of operating these tools.
Thus, there is a continuing need for systems and/or techniques to address one or more of the problems that are set forth above. There is also a continuing need for systems and/or techniques to address other problems that are not set forth above.